Much is recorded about Joab. He was a valiant man of battle, a true warrior. Brave, cunning and loyal, he must have been the man for David. He was always on David’s side from the time Saul pursued David.
But Joab was also vindictive and manipulative. He was responsible for killing Abner, Saul’s general, when he surrendered to David. Instead of forgiving him, he killed him, cold-blooded, in revenge for the death in battle of his brother Asahel. This he did with Abishai his brother.
Now in this chapter of 2 Samuel, Joab commits another murder – this time to Amasa. The son of probable naturalized father and who’s mother was the sister of David, Joab and Amasa must have cousins. Amasa must have had some loyalty to Absalom (ch. 17) but that should not justify his murder under the hand of Joab.
Joab would later pay for all his actions under the hand of Solomon (1 Kings 2).
In our Christian lives, we have interwoven loyalties. We can have all the good works and results for our church and organization and yet we are doing it for our own name. And some of these result to disasters.
Let our loyalty be to God and Him should we strive to please (Col. 3:23).
The Cross Man 